Bessemer Key Club sponsors food drive at ADJ

STUDENTS STACK non-perishable food items during a competition at A.D. Johnston Middle and High School in Bessemer, Wednesday. The can drive was organized by the high school Key Club and all of the donations were given to St. Vincent de Paul after the stacking competition.

BESSEMER - Students at A.D. Johnston Middle and High School in Bessemer put their stacking skills to use, creating sculptures from non-perishable food items.

The event ends the schools annual can drive, sponsored by the high school Key Club. Students were asked to bring items in to a specific class hour, and then use the cans to create statues, sculptures and other creative ideas.

Each team had 10 minutes to create its masterpiece, and were judged on the stability, height, creativity and use of labels.

Teacher Dave Rowe's first hour science class collected the most, with 347 items. Those items were then used to spell "1 Person 'Can' Make a Difference," and the team received first place.

"I give them personal stories to help motivate them in to donating," Rowe said. "It highly motivates them, and for my classes that participate, I bring in donuts and juice, so it helps them even be more motivated, other than doing the right thing."

Other participants included Tracy Rowe's advanced math class in second place with a version of the Taj Mahal, Barbara Waara's ninth grade English class with a version of the Disney castle in third place and Diana Mickelson's seventh grade class with their "Tower of Power" in fourth place.

The stacking contest has taken place for around five years, and all of the donations are boxed up and sent to St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Bessemer.

More than 900 items were collected overall for donation.

"This is a great way to show the community that the staff and students at Bessemer really care," Rowe said.